Queens baby died from SIDS, not pit bull mauling, parents reveal
A one-month-old baby girl found dead with severe facial injuries in a Queens housing complex last week did not die from a dog mauling, rather from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to her grieving parents and a preliminary medical report.
Little Kiyanna Winfield was discovered lifeless in bed by her mother, Lillian Burton, and stepfather, Christopher, early Tuesday morning inside their apartment at the Queensbridge Houses. Initially, police believed the infant was killed by the family's six-week-old pit bull-German Shepherd mix named Bella, who was later euthanised.
However, on Wednesday, the New York City Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed the dog's bites came after the baby had already died.
'We can confirm this is not a death from a dog mauling,' a spokesperson for the office said, adding that the cause of death is 'pending further study to include a full pediatric workup.'
The family claim they had no idea their daughter had passed away until the devastating discovery that morning.
'Our baby was alive when we all went to sleep. That is the last thing we know,' said Christopher.
'Our baby died of SIDS… She also had medical issues.
She had a heart murmur," the New York Post reported.
The couple say they were horrified to wake up and find the young pup biting Kiyanna's face around 6:30 a.m. The child was pronounced dead at the scene, with authorities describing the injuries as involving a 'substantial portion' of her face.
'I did not kill my child,' Lillian Burton said in an emotional interview. "I take real good care of my kids," she said, "They're well fed, they're well changed, they're well put together."
"For someone to say my kids are malnourished, that isn't true."
Photographs show Kiyanna as a healthy newborn weeks before the tragedy, peacefully napping at the hospital and at home.
Neighbours told The Post they had raised concerns about the puppy days earlier. 'I told her, 'That dog needs to be on a leash,'' said Shanel Nroville, who lives in the building. 'She said, 'No, this dog don't bite.' I said, 'All dogs bite.''
The family has since been locked out of their apartment while police continue their investigation. No charges have been filed as authorities await the final autopsy results.
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